I’m just getting going on a reeeeeally long book to review, so I’ll be posting oddments here for a few days. And Friday is a day I often do musical posts.
But I didn’t have this in mind, I swear to you. I was looking for some kind of hymn in Old Norse, and stumbled on this… thing.
I guess it’s kind of amusing. In Simon & Garfunkle style, they tell how the Vikings settled in Britain and assimilated. And they list some of the Viking contributions to British culture. I got a giggle or two out of it.
You’ll notice, if you’ve read my novel The Elder King, that they repeat the story that the nursery rhyme, “London Bridge Is Falling Down” refers to King Olaf Haraldsson (later Saint Olaf) pulling down London Bridge during his time as a mercenary in England. I use that legend in my book, but integrity forced me to confess in the Afterword that there’s no genuine historical basis for it. One translation of Heimskringla includes a skaldic poem with the lines, “London bridge is falling down / Gold is won and bright renown.” But that line was a whimsy of the translator’s. It doesn’t appear that way in the original poem. Scholars are confident that the nursery rhyme commemorates a much later occurrence.
Have a good weekend, if you can handle that disappointment.
“That Easter Day with Joy Was Bright” performed by The Westminster Choir of Westminster Presbyterian of Buffalo, New York, follow by an improvisation on the hymn’s Latin melody
It’s still Easter this month for our Sunday Singing posts. This hymn was translated from a longer Latin verse, once attributed to St. Ambrose, and now believed to have been written by a sixth or seventh century Gaul. The text copied here was translated by Englishman John Mason Neale in 1861 and altered by the editors of the Trinity Hymnal.
Though the hymn is short enough, I feel it could be sung about 1.5x faster. In the video, the choir above does not sing all of these words and the organist improvises on the tune for a few minutes afterward.
1 That Easter day with joy was bright: the sun shone out with fairer light when to their longing eyes restored, th’apostles saw their risen Lord.
2 His risen flesh with radiance glowed, his wounded hands and feet he showed; those scars their solemn witness gave that Christ was risen from the grave.
3 O Jesus, King of gentleness, do thou thyself our hearts possess, that we may give thee all our days the willing tribute of our praise.
4 O Lord of all, with us abide in this, our joyful Easter-tide; from ev’ry weapon death can wield thine own redeemed forever shield.
Continuing an Easter theme, here’s a marvelous hymn that fits our Good Friday meditations. “Stricken, smitten, and afflicted” comes from the Irishman Thomas Kelly (1769-1855), who wrote 765 hymns over 51 years. The tune, I believe, is of German folk origin with harmony arranged by American Paul G. Bunjes for Lutheran Worship (1982). The text below is taken from the 2006 Lutheran Service Book.
1 Stricken, smitten, and afflicted, see him dying on the tree! ‘Tis the Christ, by man rejected; yes, my soul, ’tis he, ’tis he! ‘Tis the long-expected Prophet, David’s Son, yet David’s Lord; Proofs I see sufficient of it: ’tis the true and faithful Word.
2 Tell me, ye who hear him groaning, was there ever grief like his? Friends through fear his cause disowning, foes insulting his distress; many hands were raised to wound him, none would interpose to save; but the deepest stroke that pierced him was the stroke that Justice gave.
3 Ye who think of sin but lightly nor suppose the evil great here may view its nature rightly, here its guilt may estimate. Mark the sacrifice appointed, see who bears the awful load; ’tis the Word, the Lord’s Anointed, Son of Man and Son of God.
4 Here we have a firm foundation, here the refuge of the lost; Christ, the Rock of our salvation, his the name of which we boast: Lamb of God, for sinners wounded, sacrifice to cancel guilt! None shall ever be confounded who on him their hope have built.
Isn’t it curious how the Bible is not an instruction manual? Some preachers and parents talk about it as if it is one, but if we know anything about actual instruction manuals, we know the Bible is nothing like them.
It’s mostly narrative history, even the prophecies fall into this. The gospels are not direct proclamations of good news, like what the angels declare to the shepherds from the skies, and the epistles, which are the most direct instruction, are more like single lectures from a larger course.
The Lord gave us a Bible with songs, proverbs, stories, and rules that require interpretation for a modern audience. Deuteronomy is the most like an instruction manual, and it isn’t something today’s believers can treat like a guidebook. Even the fourth commandment trips us up.
What we have in Scripture is the most marvelous book ever written. It shows us who we are apart from our vain imagination, and it shows us something of the majesty of the Almighty. It offers us the words of the Holy Spirit for feeding our hearts and minds from the hand of the author of our lives. It’s closer to a devotional than a manual.
This post may show how much Jared C. Wilson has influenced me, because when I looked up Midwestern Seminary’s For the Church site for something on this idea, I found two of Jared’s posts. From his book on the church, “The Bible is Not an Instructional Manual,” and again last year on the statement that the Bible is Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.
Here are some other posts.
Bookselling: Jeremy Anderberg suggests intentional browsing. “There are a lot of great books published every year — every month! — but publishers are increasingly putting all their marketing power into a smaller group of titles, in hopes of ensuring that coveted bestseller or celebrity book club status.”
“One of the big misperceptions about cowboys is that they were only dumb, itinerant, agricultural workers, when, in fact, most people of that period were self-educated. Heck, one of the most referred to books as being read by the cowboys in Louis L’Amour’s novels is Plutarch’s Lives.”
“I was having lunch with the Wyoming Office of Tourism, and they were telling me how much they loved the books, and I asked them why? They said that even though Absaroka County is fictitious I use all the businesses, landmarks, roads, and trails so that it’s easy to tell the tourists where they are. I’ve always found it’s easier to remember the truth, even when writing a novel.” (via Books, Inq)
What Holds Us? “Such attentiveness – call it curiosity or engagement with our surrounding — is a form of reverence and gratitude, and likewise an admission of willful ignorance: we learn little when we ignore our world.”
I don’t intend to start adding music to my Saturday posts, but I listen regularly to traditional music like what Julie Fowlis sings here and I want to share it. This whole album is marvelous.
A set of traditional songs starting with “Fodder for the small stirks”
The Choir of Christ Church, Georgetown, Washington, D. C. performing “Welcome, Happy Morning!”
Venantius Honorius Clematianus Fortunatus (530-609) wrote the original text to our Easter hymn today. When I looked for a video of it, I found several recordings of a version that includes the first of these verses before moving into less Christocentric thoughts. The words below come from the Trinity Hymnal and are performed in by The Choir of Christ Church above.
This weekend is what life on earth is about. Praise the Living God who made us and redeemed us for his own glory. Happy Easter, everyone!
1 “Welcome, happy morning!” age to age shall say: hell today is vanquished; heav’n is won today. Lo! the Dead is living, God forevermore! Him, their true Creator, all his works adore.
2 Maker and Redeemer, life and health of all, thou, from heav’n beholding human nature’s fall, of the Father’s God-head true and only Son, manhood to deliver, manhood didst put on.
3 Thou, of life the author, death didst undergo, tread the path of darkness, saving strength to show; come then, True and Faithful, now fulfil thy word, ’tis thine own third morning; rise, O buried Lord.
4 Loose the souls long prisoned, bound with Satan’s chain; thine that now are fallen raise to life again; show thy face in brightness, bid the nations see; bring again our daylight; day returns with thee.
I’m trying to decide if the apostle Peter is a good example of saying the quiet part aloud. When someone notes that an activist or someone has said the quiet part out loud, they mean this person has admitted to principles or goals his people usually leave unsaid or even deny. And Peter is famous for speaking his mind.
On Good Friday, we remember that Peter told Jesus he would die before he denied Christ. “Peter said to him, ‘Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!’ And all the disciples said the same” (Mt. 26:35 ESV). But he did deny the Lord, and I assume the others did too by running away.
When Jesus filled the fishermen’s nets to overflowing, Peter said, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Lk 5:8 ESV), saying immediately what the others may think later, that they were unworthy to stand so close to a holy man. Many years later, Paul had to rebuke Peter for holding Gentile believers to an unholy standard, implying they should maintain Jewish habits in order to be right with Christ (Gal. 2:11-14).
With these and other examples, Peter shows himself to be a great example of a Christian who can’t keep his act together, who lives in continual repentance for not living what he actually believes. In this way, perhaps it’s right to say he says quiet things aloud, and by doing so, he helps us recognize or reject what he says. We can say we do believe that and it’s wrong, or we do believe that and it clashes with other professed beliefs.
Or perhaps we deny that we will ever reject Christ, and then we hear ourselves rejecting him. Don’t let that be your final word. Christ’s work on the cross is enough to flood your entire life and raise you to a new life with him.
“Unto my Lord Jehovah said” piano accompaniment of the Elbing tune
This arrangement of Psalm 110 first appeared in the Irish Psalter of 1898. It’s paired with the Elbing tune in the Trinity Hymnal, which I’ve shared above, but other hymnals arrange this text with at least two more tunes.
I offer it here today in that strange Palm Sunday attitude of singing praise to Christ the King, even as the Jerusalem crowds shouted Hosanna in ignorance. They didn’t know the irony of their words. They wanted Jesus of Nazareth to be a political king who would overthrown Rome, but he was the king of kings whose kingdom was not of this world.
1 Unto my Lord Jehovah said: At my right hand I throne thee, till, at thy feet in triumph laid, thy foes their ruler own thee. From Zion hill the Lord shall send thy scepter, till before thee bend the knees of proud rebellion.
2 Thy saints, to greet thy day of might, in holy raiment muster; as dewdrops in the morning light thy youths around thee cluster. The Lord hath sworn and made decree, thou, like Melchizedek, shalt be a kingly priest for ever.
3 The Lord at thy right hand shall bring on rulers desolation; the Lord shall smite each heathen king, and judge each rebel nation. He, swiftly marching in his wrath, shall quaff the brook upon his path, and lift his head in glory.
As an alternative, let me also share this 9th century French hymn, “Gloria, laus et honor,” performed by Harpa Dei.
“Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Wretched” by Joseph Hart
Today’s hymn is one version of London language teacher Joseph Hart’s 1759 hymn, which seems to have many versions among its many publications. I’m more familiar this version, but the version I offer here is the one in the Trinity Hymnal. The 1852 tune is by Welsh composer William Owen.
Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched, Weak and wounded, sick and sore; Jesus ready stands to save you, Full of pity joined with pow’r: He is able, (3x) He is willing, doubt no more. (2x)
Come, ye needy, come and welcome, God’s free bounty glorify; True belief and true repentance, Every grace that brings you nigh, Without money, (3x) Come to Jesus Christ and buy. (2x)
Come, ye weary, heavy laden, Lost and ruined by the fall; If you tarry till you’re better, You will never come at all: Not the righteous, (3x) Sinners Jesus came to call. (2x)
Let not conscience make you linger, Nor of fitness fondly dream; All the fitness He requireth Is to feel your need of Him: This He gives you, (3x) ’Tis the Spirit’s rising beam. (2x)
Lo! th’ incarnate God, ascended, Pleads the merit of His blood; Venture on Him, venture wholly; Let no other trust intrude: None but Jesus, (3x) Can do helpless sinners good (2x).
“Though Your Sins Be as Scarlet” performed by the Harding University Concert Choir
As we approach Easter next month, let’s join together in singing Franny Crosby revival-style hymn, “Though Your Sins Be as Scarlet.” Crosby (1820-1915) was born in Putnam County, New York, and lost her sight at age six. “It is as a writer of Sunday-school songs and gospel hymns that she is known wherever the English language is spoken, and, in fact, wherever any other language is heard.” The tune was written by Connecticut industrialist William H. Doane.
1 Though your sins be as scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though your sins be as scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they be red like crimson, They shall be as wool; Though your sins be as scarlet, Though your sins be as scarlet, They shall be as white as snow, They shall be as white as snow.
2 Hear the voice that entreats you, O return ye unto God! Hear the voice that entreats you, O return ye unto God! He is of great compassion, And of wondrous love; Hear the voice that entreats you, Hear the voice that entreats you, O return ye unto God! O return ye unto God!
3 He’ll forgive your transgressions, And remember them no more; He’ll forgive your transgressions, And remember them no more; “Look unto Me, ye people,” Saith the Lord your God; He’ll forgive your transgressions, He’ll forgive your transgressions, And remember them no more, And remember them no more.
Three posts from me in a single day. Am I generous, or what? I’ve been reading a lot of books lately, and if I get too far behind in my reviews I forget what a lot of them are about.
But I feel Father Ailill would never forgive me if I didn’t observe St. Patrick’s Day with a musical selection, at least. So here’s Daniel O’Donnell with The Rose of Tralee, a song I reference in my novel Death’s Doors.
I’ll add an ancient Irish blessing I made up a few years back on the Baen’s Bar discussion board:
“May you always have bread for your table, and more bacon than bread, and more beer than bacon. And may you have no need of any of it, having eaten yourself full at the wakes of your enemies.”
